Talbot Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 20–21 September 2011 Inspection number 377666 Unique Reference Number 107908 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 377666 Inspection dates 20–21 September 2011 Reporting inspector Lynne Blakelock

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 490 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Chris Lowe Headteacher Linda Clay Date of previous school inspection 26 June 2007 School address East Moor Road Leeds LS8 1AF Telephone number 0113 293 4086 Fax number 0113 293 0230 Email address clayl01@leedslearning.net achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors who observed 19 teachers in 24 lessons. They held meetings with senior and middle leaders, representatives of the governing body and groups of pupils. The inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at documentation relating to pupils’ achievement, the school’s self-evaluation and a range of policies and procedures. They analysed staff and pupil questionnaires and the 154 responses from parents and carers.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 The quality of the teaching of writing, especially through the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.

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Introduction

 The extent to which pupils are given responsibility for their learning.

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Introduction

 The effectiveness of policies and procedures to ensure equality of opportunity across all groups of pupils.

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Information about the school

The school is large compared to most others of its type. A well-above-average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups. A below-average proportion are identified by their parents and carers as speaking English as an additional language. A well below average proportion have special educational needs and/or disabilities, of which most are moderate learning difficulties. The proportion in this group is rising. The proportion known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average.

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Information about the school

The school has been awarded National Healthy School Status. It has achieved the Sports Activemark, the Inclusion Chartermark and the Global Awareness Award. It operates within a cluster of seven primary schools, two high schools and a Specialist Inclusive Learning centre (SILC), working together to serve the community and enhance provision. The school is a lead partner school for the local authority, providing support for leadership and management to other schools.

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Information about the school

‘Candystripe,’ a before- and after-school club, operates on the site, providing all-year care. It is managed by an outside provider and is inspected separately from the school. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

This is a good school. It serves pupils from a wide diversity of cultures, values them all and celebrates their achievements. As a result, the school is a very cohesive community in which pupils play and learn harmoniously and in which they thrive. All aspects of pupils’ personal development are good, so that they are well-prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils achieve outstandingly well by the end of Year 6 from their broadly typical skills and knowledge on entry. They attain highly in English and mathematics. Well-targeted booster classes contribute considerably to pupils’ high attainment. However, some inconsistencies in learning and progress as pupils move through the school, in response to differences in the effectiveness of teaching, mean that learning, progress and teaching overall are good rather than outstanding. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make excellent

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Main findings

progress due to outstanding provision and organisation of their learning, combined with the expertise of outside agencies. The school has acted quickly to address the needs of the growing proportion of children who start in the Nursery class with lower levels of writing skills than is typical for their age. A clear structure and sequence to teaching have been embedded. Together with much broader and regularly creative writing opportunities, pupils have a secure framework for learning to write.

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Main findings

The outstanding care, guidance and support for all pupils are major factors in pupils’ positive attitudes, sense of security, and their enjoyment of school. Pupils benefit from taking responsibility for their learning. Assessment of their own learning is regularly built into lessons and has a very positive impact on the pace of progress. They show ownership of their individual targets and their progress towards them, and select and evaluate their learning journey plans.

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Main findings

The good leadership of the headteacher, strongly supported by the senior team, drives the school forward. Monitoring of pupils’ progress is meticulous and provides staff with very accurate information about the levels at which pupils are working. It is the starting point for good equality of opportunity and excellent community cohesion. Other monitoring and evaluation is generally robust, and leads to effective practices, although a minority of short-term lesson planning does not promote continuity of learning for all pupils or accuracy of challenge in their tasks. Middle managers are increasingly effective in driving the school forward, with responsibilities that together cover all major aspects of the school’s work. The governing body adds to the school’s strengths and good capacity for further improvement, through its detailed monitoring and oversight of the school’s performance. It probes the outcomes of the school’s

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Main findings

work and challenges outcomes for pupils.

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Main findings

The school values highly its partnership with parents and carers, and the impact of the wide range of links with them is outstanding in the value added to pupils’ achievement and involvement in activities. The very comprehensive information shared with parents and carers enables them to support their children’s learning and to evaluate the school’s performance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all lesson planning consistently provides for continuity of learning and accurate challenge for pupils.  

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils enjoy learning individually and in groups. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils made excellent progress in solving word problems using different operations. By the end of the lesson, pupils had a very good understanding of how to use inversion. Links with literacy ran through the lesson, strengthening pupils’ spelling and understanding of key mathematical concepts. There are no significant differences between boys’ and girls’ achievement, or those from minority ethnic groups. There is some variation in the progress pupils make from year to year as they move through the school, but overall progress is good. Pupils capable of achieving higher levels make good progress in applying newly-acquired and increasingly higher-order skills. Those who speak English as an additional language make good progress towards developing more sophisticated sentence structure. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

towards their individual targets in literacy and numeracy.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils’ behaviour is good. Their attendance is above average. They develop a wide range of skills through the school’s provision. The school council, for example, is encouraged to suggest improvements and evaluate the impact of their actions. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, with their cultural understanding an outstanding aspect. Good community involvement gives pupils a very comprehensive understanding of the diversity in our society and the value of their own contribution. Activities enable pupils to fund-raise, which is carried out as part of carefully planned projects. The impact of this is pupils’ increasing empathy towards the needs of others through their first-hand experiences, the school’s ethos and careful selection of texts and themes in lessons. Pupils have a good understanding of how to be safe and stay safe, based on a comprehensive programme, which includes excellent ‘e-safety’ awareness measures. They feel

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

secure in school because of this and have confidence in the staff to deal with any issues. Many pupils are taking on board the school’s teaching about living a healthy life. This was seen in their participation in sport, beyond lessons, and in particular, their good understanding of the importance of keeping healthy, fit and making sensible life-style choices. These are the grades for pupils' outcomes Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils' attainment 1 1 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 2 Pupils' behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 2 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance 1 2 The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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How effective is the provision?

Positive relationships between pupils and staff provide a good foundation for learning. Most teachers’ planning is good, with some being exemplary, and this results in a brisk pace, with high expectations of pupils’ achievements in the very large majority of lessons. There is a small amount of less effective planning in which the school’s accurate data about pupils’ levels are not used carefully enough to ensure the accuracy of challenge in tasks set for pupils.

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How effective is the provision?

As a result, there is some variation in the effectiveness of teaching on learning and pupils' progress across the school. Questioning is often very specific and promotes pupils’ further progress well. Pupils enjoy learning individually and in groups. Summaries of learning during, and at the end of lessons are very helpful to staff in assessing pupils’ knowledge and understanding, although the quality of this aspect of practice is variable. Marking is good, overall, with strongest practice in literacy, which provides very specific guidance about how to make further progress.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum is organised well to promote both good academic and personal development across all groups of pupils. For those pupils with specific needs, it is excellent because it is very closely matched to individual needs. Long-term and medium-term planning of learning are consistently good, resulting in good coverage of knowledge and skills. Short-term planning, in a few cases, does not ensure continuity of learning. Extra-curricular activities are a particular strength of the curriculum and provide outstanding opportunities for pupils to develop new skills and talents. The school continues to add to its range of very popular activities, for all year groups. Pupils speak enthusiastically about, for example, YogaBugs, gardening, racket skills and art. Partnerships with other schools enrich learning in areas such as drama, sport, and imaginative enterprise activities. Pupils enjoy a wide range of

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low subjects, including specialist music and French teaching. While there are creative events, which pupils enjoy, such as a theme on dragons, creativity is a developing aspect. Links across subjects are good, especially in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology.

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How effective is the provision?

The school’s good systems and practices help to ensure that pupils are safe. Pastoral care is the starting point of all that the school does. The needs and circumstances of all pupils are known to staff. Excellent coordination of provision leads to highly relevant and effective practices, often aided by outside agencies. Arrangements for pupils whose circumstances may make them potentially vulnerable and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, demonstrate exemplary practice. As a result, pupils develop greatly their confidence and self-esteem, involve themselves equally in the wider learning provided by the school and achieve at least as well as other pupils. Arrangements for pupils to move up to the next year group and to secondary school take place over time and are excellently planned to cater for all needs.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning 2 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The committed staff share the vision, ambition and high expectations of the headteacher. Through the collection of detailed data, gathered from extensive monitoring, and which leads to challenging targets being set and met, the school continues to evolve. The progress of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, for example, was good at the last inspection and is now outstanding. The school’s good commitment to equality of opportunity is evident in the school’s close analysis of the progress of individuals and different groups of pupils. The successful action taken results in the similar performance of different groups of pupils. As further testimony to its commitment to equality and diversity, community cohesion is promoted outstandingly well. This is demonstrated in the closeness to the local community and in the cohesiveness of the school community. Partnerships further afield add to pupils’ understanding and empathy of similarities and differences in

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How effective are leadership and management?

lifestyles and values. A range of other partnerships make an effective contribution to pupils’ academic and personal development.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effective governing body evaluates the impact of the school’s work, including the progress of different groups, comprehensively, both through being in school and by asking very pertinent questions. The governing body's oversight of safeguarding practices and procedures is good because of its thorough reviewing and analysis of the effectiveness of systems and procedures. These are the grades for the leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning 2 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 1 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and

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How effective are leadership and management?

tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 1 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children settle quickly into the caring and stimulating environment. Careful preparation for their entry into the nursery aids the process. Regular ‘stay and play’ sessions for parents and carers have been introduced to enable them to become more quickly and directly involved in their children’s learning. An increasing proportion of children have less well-developed communication and personal skills. They make good progress towards the early learning goals because provision is good. The five senses are used effectively in encouraging learning. The needs of the growing proportion of children who speak English as an additional language, and those who find aspects of learning difficult, are accurately known and provided for, including in support groups.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children find learning interesting. They have lots of chances to explore, discover and to learn for themselves and to practise the skills learnt from teacher-led activities. One boy proudly said, ‘I can count these apples’. Activities and teaching reflect the diversity of cultures represented and the equal valuing of all children. While it is not easy to use the outdoor area as an extension to the classroom because of the design of the school, planning ensures that children are able to develop skills across all areas of learning. Children’s personal, social, health and emotional development are built into all activities. In particular, children are encouraged to both be independent and to share, care and respect each other.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Good leadership and management are demonstrated in joint planning and effective communication between staff. It includes frequent assessment and recording of children’s learning.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

Almost all parents and carers who responded to the inspection questionnaire agreed that their children enjoy school, and that it keeps them safe. Most parents and carers agreed with all of the other statements. Many parents and carers added comments. Several praised the support for children with specific needs, the fun children had in school and the approachable staff. One parent/carer wrote, ‘The school encourages both academic and wider learning.’ The inspection report reflects this view. Most comments were individual to their children, but a few responses revealed similar concerns about communication. The inspection found plentiful evidence that communication is very comprehensive and effective in promoting pupils’ academic and personal development. All comments have been shared with the headteacher, while preserving the anonymity of the writer. She is keen to address any individual matters raised.

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Talbot Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 154 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 426 pupils registered at the school.

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questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 107 69 44 29 2 1 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 103 67 46 30 3 2 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 60 39 75 49 14 9 1 1 My child is making enough progress at this school 70 45 68 44 7 5 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 86 56 59 38 3 2 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 79 51 58 38 9 6 1 1 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 79 51 63 41 4 3 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 74 48 56 36 5 3 1 1

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questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 67 44 69 45 7 5 2 1 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 67 44 63 41 11 7 2 1

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questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 47 31 75 49 20 13 1 1

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questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 76 49 63 41 9 6 1 1 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 85 55 60 39 5 3 0 0

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questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Inspection of Talbot Primary School, Leeds, LS8 1AF

I am writing on behalf of the inspection team to thank you for your cooperation and help when we visited you recently. We enjoyed spending time talking with you and watching you learn and play. Your views about school and what you learn are very important to us and have been taken into account in making our judgements. You enjoy school a great deal and think that it is good, and you are right. We were pleased to see how quickly you have settled into the new school year, including the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. This letter will tell you some of the judgements that we made.

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Inspection of Talbot Primary School, Leeds, LS8 1AF

You make good progress through the school because teaching is good. The levels that you reach are high when you leave the school and ‘booster’ classes’ play an important part in this. The school helps you to develop a lot of important skills and qualities that you will need when you are older. It does this by giving you a lot of responsibilities around the school, which you value. You are increasingly managing your learning and progress through your targets and learning journeys. All of these positive aspects are made possible by the good leadership of the school and hard- working teachers. One of the strengths of the school is your respect for each other. You all benefit greatly by being in a school where people come from different cultures and where you can have first-hand experiences of other peoples’ lifestyles and beliefs. While tasks regularly offer you an accurate level of challenge, some planning of lessons does not take into account carefully enough the levels at which

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Inspection of Talbot Primary School, Leeds, LS8 1AF

you work and what you have previously learnt. This means at times work is too easy or too hard. Your headteacher is going to make sure that this does not happen.

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Inspection of Talbot Primary School, Leeds, LS8 1AF

We hope that you will continue to work hard to achieve your potential.

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Inspection of Talbot Primary School, Leeds, LS8 1AF

Lynne Blakelock Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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